An arrest warrant has been issued for Somerville-based businessman Jamie (Jay) Scicluna after he failed to appear in Frankston Magistrates Court, as ordered, last week.
The publisher of the STPL News was due in court to face oral examination last Wednesday (25 February) for failing to pay a court-ordered amount of $5000. After his failure to appear, the judgment creditor signed a “Request for warrant to arrest judgment debtor” that has now been signed off by a Magistrate.
Last year the court ordered Scicluna to pay $5000 to his ex-accountant after it was ruled he applied for a personal safety intervention order (PSIO) against her “frivolously”.
The businesswoman had the PSIO taken out against her after she ran into Scicluna on the street on 5 December 2024 and asked when he would be paying the outstanding invoices owed to her company. The order forbade her from contacting, discussing, or going near Scicluna.
The businesswoman was set to contest the PSIO at court in June last year, but Scicluna withdrew the order beforehand. At that hearing, the businesswoman made an application for costs.
The registrar found that Scicluna’s application against the businesswoman was “frivolous” due to it lacking in merit, and that the businesswoman had not committed prohibited behaviour against him.
At the time, Scicluna’s lawyer tendered a medical report to the court claiming her client has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and explained that he has difficulty with social interaction and communication. Further, the lawyer claimed that Scicluna was in difficult financial circumstances and had little to no income.
The registrar was not convinced and ordered Scicluna pay costs of $5000 to the businesswoman. Scicluna’s lawyer told the registrar that her client was “not in a position to pay” and sought either a payment plan of $30 a fortnight (that would see the amount paid off in 6.4 years) or a stay of six months. The businesswoman’s lawyer agreed to a stay of three months to allow Scicluna the time to organise the $5000.
Scicluna has beaten a well-worn path to Frankston Magistrate’s Court over the last two years with no fewer than ten hearings over intervention order and financial matters.
In November 2024 Scicluna had a two-year PSIO and a Firearm Prohibition Order granted against him by another Somerville businesswoman after a Magistrate found he had stalked and harassed her. The court heard the victim endured months of persistent harassment including derogatory behaviour, sexually demeaning behaviour, repeated visits to her workplace, and physical intimidation.
The Magistrate found that Scicluna had referred to the victim as a “c**t”, that he stated he was “out for blood” and “won’t stop until he destroys her.”
In January this year, the Herald Sun reported that Scicluna had faced Frankston Magistrates Court on a dozen enforcement matters brought by Melbourne, Port Phillip and Wyndham councils pertaining to over $16,000 in parking and toll fines.
Scicluna initially represented himself before the Magistrate stood the matter down so he could seek legal advice from Victorian Legal Aid. The court appointed lawyer returned to court seeking an adjournment so a psychiatric report could be prepared.
The same month, Mornington Peninsula Shire announced it would cease all engagement with Scicluna stating “The Shire believes in being held to account along with freedom of press, however we have clear expectations regarding ethical conduct, fair and accurate reporting, and respectful behaviour”.
“This includes concerns regarding past reporting approaches and publicly documented conduct matters, which we believe do not meet community expectations and are not aligned to the Shire’s values or the community we serve.”